Last Season
by BabyLove1429
Summary: With Abe gone on their last season together, Mihashi loses his willpower to pitch. But when Momoe recruits a substitute the team has enough chance of making the season. Mihashi refuses to accept the new catcher, who is a girl!With a girl on the team will Nishiura make it to the Finals? Will he accept his new catcher who is his opposite? What will happen when the season is over?
1. Mihashi

**Disclaimer: I donot own oofuri.**

* * *

"You're leaving?!"

Abe's words echoed through my heads like bullets. I felt like dying and I was making it to obvious, because Abe smacked my head with his glove.

"I'm not leaving you idiot! It's just for the season!"

I was sweating like crazy. I understood that he wasn't quitting the team, but I cant pitch with anyone but Abe. I felt that my whole world would freeze over if Abe wasn't squatting on Catcher's mound, giving me signals.

Abe sighed. "I know you're bummed about it but it can't be helped. If I don't do this operation, I can never catch for you again!"

I avoided looking him in the eye, and gripped my glove. "B-but! The operation is tomorrow! The season doesn't start till next week! Cant you make it?"

"Are you an idiot? It'll take weeks for recovery, have you ever got surgery on your spine? No."

He was right. I am an idiot. But I was so reluctant to accept that Abe was not going to be here for me my third year of high school, I felt like the excitement of playing with my team again was overwhelming, and now this? I felt the tears escape my eyes and abe was getting mad at me for crying.

"Listen, you've got the other team members as well. Hanai agreed to catch for me while I'm gone, so you'll be good as long as you don't throw off his signs." Abe started walking. "Remember, my flight is tomorrow morning at 8, don't forget."

I gulped. I couldn't believe it. I was so used to counting on Abe that I didn't realize that I was really useless without him. Without Abe, I probably wouldn't have redeemed myself my freshman year. It was him who brought back my willpower. He helped me achieve so many things. And now he's going to be gone for our last season together? Does he even know this?

* * *

"Listen up boys, with Abe gone with his surgery, we will have to work just as hard. With or without him we are a great team, and even though this is our last season together we have to make it count!"Momoe chants, as they all gather at the center of outer field during morning practice.

Izumi sighs. "It wont be the same. What's the point of playing the season if we don't have our catcher?

"Hanai is substituting." Sakaeguchi mentions.

"But catching isn't my forte." Hanai interjects. "We'd be better off if we got a new catcher."

"No!"

Everyone turns to me. "W-we cant replace Abe! I-i.." I gulp back my tears. "I wont catch for anyone else!"

Momoe sighs and pats my back. "I don't want to break it to you buddy, but this is our last season. Abe cant play, and if we don't have a catcher, we cant play either."

My fingers are shaking. What's the point of pitching if I can't do it with Abe?

"Are you serious? You would give up the season for Abe?"Mizutani asks me, with an angry tone.

Tajima hands me a juice. "Listen Mihashi, as much as we like Abe we need to accept he wont be playing this season. Things happen."

"Yeah, your bromance needs to end Mihashi. You need to realize that without Abe you are just as great." Hanai says.

I felt the tears rush down my cheeks like the bullets of Abe's words. As much as I want to accept it, a part of me wants Abe to always catch for me until the end of time. I don't want Abe to leave. I don't want him to go overseas and get his operation.

* * *

Momoe was laying under the morning sun the next day, it was an hour after Abe's flight and she was sure the boys had gone to say goodbye this morning.

"Too bad, huh," She said to her dog. "We made such great team. If one team member falls into a river, the others fall down with him. I hope that's not true."

"Give it back!"

"Huh?"

Momoe looked over her shoulder to see what seemed like a fight between high school students.

"Are you serious? This early. Guess I better do something." Just when Momoe grabs her bat, there's a sound that sounded like a swing.

"Try taking it from me now!"

"Damn you."

Momoe watches three boys run off towards the school, and a girl with shoulder length blonde hair stands with a bat in her hand. She was wearing the school uniform, and her stance was not feminine.

"Hey, mind telling me what just happened here?" Momoe approaches her.

She's standing there, pivots her left foot to the direction of where she swung her bat. She runs full speed, carefully not trampling over the arable that Tajima's grandfather farmed.

"That was rude."

A ball appears in the distance getting closer, and closer, until Momoe is sure it's directed towards her, she grabs her glove and jumps just high enough to catch the full. She pivots her right foot so that she doesn't slip or hit the ground.

Then the girl is seen running back, and in seconds, she slides in, her sneakers squeaking against the road.

"Is this yours?"Momoe asks.

"Yeah." She says. Slightly out of breath. "They were trying to take my baseball."

"I see." She sizes the girl. She doesn't look masculine, but she was flat as a board. "What's your name?"

"Suzuki Oshima."

"Are you doing any sports?"

"No."

Momoe didn't understand. She was either a track runner or a softball player, but the girl didn't seem to play anything.

"Come here."

* * *

"Yo Coach!" Hanai checks the dugout for any signs that the coach is here.

"Listen, run this entire baseball field as much as you can."

"I'll be late for school."

"I'll give u pass."

Hanai was wondering what was going on, until he saw Momoe with a girl out on the field. Isnt that Suzuki Oshima from the sophomore class?

After a while Hanai decides to approach them. "How long has she been running?"

"Thirty minutes straight."

"No way! Has she even stopped once?"

"Nope. "Momoe says, grinning. "Ive been watching her. She started off at full speed and cover forty laps in under five minutes. She never stopped, but she slowed her pace a bit when she got to fifty, then returned to full speed at seventy. She started sweating at around 127 laps and 22 minutes in. This girl exceeds farther than expected from someone with her stature and without any sign of muscle."

Hanai watched Suzuki who past by them six times as Momoe spoke. "How is that possible?"

"Yo! Oshima! You can stop now."

Suzuki slows her pace and pivots her feet to land directly in front of them. She wasn't panting as hard as one usually should when they have run for so long and at full speed.

"Oshima, you better tell me the truth now. Have you been in any sports?"

Suzuki looked at her, then wiped her sweat. "I told you im not in any club."

"That's not possible! Have you been a track runner?" Hanai asks.

"No."

Suzuki was starting to get on their nerves. There's no way the girl could be this talented and not in any athletic club. She must have atleast trained somewhat. Then it hit Momoe. If the girl can run two hundred laps in thirty five minutes full speed without stopping, her legs must be the strongest point on her body. She also swung at a ball with a wooden bat at a great distance, then swung it back with the exact same distance covered.

"I think I just had the craziest idea."

"What is it?" Hanai asks.

"Suzuki Oshima may be the right person we need for the team."

"What?!" Hanai retorts. "No way! A girl on our team? Do you know how wrong that is in so many ways?!"

Momoe turns to Hanai. "Do you want to play your last season at Nishiura or do you not?"

Hanai jolts. She was right. It was their last season, and this girl was their only hope. Hanai knew he wasn't the one indicated to catch for Nishiura, but a girl at that! Even he had a better chance!  
"How about Oshima? Wanna join the baseball team?"

Suzuki picked up her baseball. "No. I don't want to be in any clubs."

Momoe was getting annoyed. "Think about it! If you can withstand running for so long, your legs are just as strong to squat as a catcher! You need to join!"

Suzuki turned on her feet. "Like buzz just said, I'm a girl and I cant join this team."

"Buzz?!"Hanai replies.

"Just come to practice tomorrow! Just one practice that's all we'll ask for!"

Suzuki looks at Hanai, still insulted by the nickname she gave him. "I'll come . But just for one day. Im a busy person."

Momoe throws a fist pump. "Yeah! You wont regret it!"

Hanai sighs. What's going to become of this season?


	2. Suzuki

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN OOFURI**

* * *

The boys showed up the next day with their heads not even in the season. Especially Mihashi who was in the pits, and he looked lack he hadn't slept and had cried for days.

"Listen up boys, we are going to continue this season without Abe, but we wont have to work hard to make up for him."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Izumi, asked, sitting down next to Mihashi.

"Because I've got a replacement for him ten times better!"

The words hit Mihashi like an atomic bomb. A replacement? Ten times better than Abe? Of course Momoe was just making a figure of speech so that a replacement for Abe did not seem like coal on Christmas morning.

"A replacement?! Are you serious?" A couple boys exclaimed.

"Yep. Our replacement hasn't shown up though.." Hanai mentions, still apprehensive about having Suzuki join the team.

Speaking of the devil, Suzuki showed up, wearing a cap and the school sweats. She had her hair tied in a small pony tail to tie up her thin shoulder length hair.

Momoe puts her arm on Suzuki's shoulder. "Everyone, meet Suzuki Oshima. Our new catcher!"

Everyone was at a dismay at the shady character standing before them. He was nothing as they imagined.

Mihashi was still in shock at the fact that Abe will be replaced by this person.

"Very well, Oshima, show us a couple of your swings. Mihashi, throw him a pitch."

Mihashi felt reluctant, but he was also curious enough to test this person's abilities. He grabbed a ball and stepped foot on the mound.

"Throw a fast ball." Momoe hollers.

Mihashi sighed and let it out. He pitched a fast ball, and Oshima watched it curve slightly as it seemed to float. It throws her off, but she regains control fast and swings the bat. It launches about fifteen feet in the air and Tajima runs to get it.

"Amazing!" He shouts. "Throw him another!"

Mihashi was surprised at Suzuki's quick reactions. Was he really better than Abe?

"I say we let him give Mihashi some signs. See how good this guy is as a catcher." Izumi shouts.

Suzuki seemed bored, but she grabs some gear, and a mit, and squats down.

Mihashi stares at the pitcher and pictures Abe on the mound. No. This person cant call Abe's sign. Because he isn't Abe.

_What are signs, _Suzuki thinks. _Im hungry._

Mihashi waits to see if Suzuki dares to call a sign but the guy was taking his time.

Tajima approached the mound, holding his bat. "Alright buddy! Call for fast ball inside!"

_Inside where?_

"Just show one finger then four fingers. He'll get what you mean. "

_This is confusing…_

Finally, Suzuki decides to show his first finger. _Or was it two? Wait, why did he say four then?_

Mihashi sees that the catcher was pulling a finger. A simple fast ball? He pivots his foot and lets the fastball go and a confused Tajima misses it.

"Hey! It was supposed to go on the inside! What are you trying to pull?"Tajima pouts.

Momoe sees the tension in the air. "Alright. Lets see. Do you even know the signals?"

"No."

Mihashi trips on his feet. He doesn't even know signals. How is he supposed to be a catcher?

"The guy doesn't even know the basics?!" Mizutani complains.

Momoe pulls Suzuki aside. "Look Oshima,when playing Baseball, the catcher is supposed to read the batter's intentions, and that is when you signal the pitcher which ball to pitch. Tajima wanted a fast ball on the inside, which was one finger, then four. You signaled Mihashi a simple fast ball."

"His ball isn't even fast. It was like slo-mo." Suzuki mentions.

"It was indeed a fast ball, but he had complete control over it. But that's why there are different signals that changes it's speed. Communication between the pitcher and the catcher is crucial during a game. Of course you cant tell him verbally, you need to tell him through your fingers."

Suzuki was beginning to understand, and it was taking her interest. "Ok."

She crouched back down.

Tajima approaches the mound again. "Don't mess with me this time."

Suzuki looks at Mihashi from a distance. He wasn't exactly a big guy, and his face did not seem intimidating in any way. According to the fast ball she encountered when she was at bat earlier, really threw her off.

"A curveball."

Tajima turns around. "Huh?"

She begins to experiment with her fingers. If a fast ball is one finger, then a curve ball was probably a the second or the third finger. Then when would a slider come in? Surely a change up was probably five or four.

_Alright, show me your curve ball. _

Suzuki signals two fingers.

Mihashi reads it.

"_I hate it when a pitcher throws off my signs."_

_Abe._

He throws the curve ball but hesitates and throws it away.

_What? I only used two fingers. Why did he throw a Curveball Away._

Tajima notices the sudden change and waits until the last strike. Surely he would have no choice but to throw the fast ball inside now.

_Come on. Do as I say._

Suzuki finally signals a fastball inside.

But Mihashi is fighting with himself.

_I cant pitch with out Abe! I cant! I feel the most confident with him. Did I lose my will power to pitch?_

Mihashi throws a slider.

"What the heck?! Dude, quit playing!" Tajima shouts at Suzuki.

_He's blaming it at me. But that pitcher paid no attention to me and hes crying for some reason. Wierdo. It's like that guy had no intention in communicating with me._

Suzuki take off her helmet and marches towards Mihashi, grabs him by the color and looks at him eye to eye. "You shook off my signs."

Suzuki's voice sounded like Abe to Mihashi and he felt like he failed Abe. He dropped to the ground and began to sob. "I-I am nothing with out him!"

Suzuki looked down at him. "You miss your catcher?"

Mihashi hiccupped. "I cant play- w-with out h-him. My hand is s-slowly freezing… over.."

He grabs his collar again. "You're really naïve to think your talent comes from your catcher."

Mihashi looked at Suzuki. "But if that's the way you feel. Then good. Because I have no intention in joining your team."

She grabs her bat, and her cap and starts walking.

"He knows nothing about baseball!" Tajima mentions.

"Yeah, but did you see the way he swung Mihashi's fast ball? It was like he knew what he was going to pitch." Izumi interjects.

"Oh Oshima didn't know what he was going to throw at all. She's just that quick at reading movement and reacts just as quick. With her talent we'll have another clean up hitter other than Tajima!"

"D-Did she just say she…"

"No way.."

Momoe grins. "That's right! Suzuki Oshima is none other than a female sophomore!"

"IM DEAD." Tajima falls over.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! :3**


End file.
